Piano attachment



Aug. 11, 1925.

H. A. CLAUSING PIANO ATTACHMENT Filed June 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. A. CLAUSING PIANO ATTACHMENT Filed June D, 1922 Aug. 11. 1925.

Aug. 11, 1925.

, 1,548,982 H. A. CLAUSING PIANO ATTACHMENT Filed June 10, 1922 s Sheets-:Sheet 5 I a x v v% z y 4 u, V Q 1 g z 5 g2 a k N i; Q Q m N &{ {is k, R?

T- 1 l.- a I L i E P I l l ceeds,

Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

warren stares nnnav ADOLPH GLAUSING, or LIMA, OHIO.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

Application filed June 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,344.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. GLAUSING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Piano Attachmenhbf which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a simple means whereby a solo note may be brought out in the operation of a .player piano, it being possible to control the accentuation of the solo note, and also to control the accompanin'ient, thedevice being intended to be used with aspecial perforated music sheet, but being so constructed that it may be used with an ordinary music sheet, commonly known as an 88 note sheet.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description provthe invention resides in the combination and arrangement .of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in section a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmental elevation wherein parts are broken away; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section on the line 4.i of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section through the suction casing and attendant parts; Figure 6 is a plan showing a portion of the music sheet.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a frame 1 which may be disposed in any desired position in the piano, the showing of Figure 1 being to some extent diagrammatic. For convenience in assembly and repair, the constituent parts of the frame 1 may be held together by bolts 2. A main suction chamber 3 exists in the frame 1 and communicates through a port 4. with a casing 5 on the frame 1, suction being created in the casing by any suitable means, designated by a pipe 6.

First pneumatics 7 and second pneumatics 8 are located in the suction chamber 3 and are mounted on the frame 1, the pneumatics having bleed ports 9 which communicate with the chamber 3. Apassage 10 is formed in the frame 1 and is located at the side of the chamber 3. A passage 11 is formed in the frame 1 and is located by the side of the passage 10. A port 12 establishes communication between the passage 10 and the suction casing 5. A port 1% establishes communicationbetween the passage 11 and the suction casing 5. A valve 15 controls the port 12 and is mounted on the casing 5. A similar valve 16 controls the port 1 1. The valves 15 and 16 may be operated from a remote point by any suitable means indicated at 17. I

Passages 18 and 19 are formed in the frame land are disposed at right angles to the passages 10 and 11. Ports 20 connect the passage 10 with the passages 18. Ports 21 connect the passage 11 with the passages 19. Chambers 22 are formed in the frame 1 and communicate with adjacent passages 18 and 19. Ports 23 in the casing connect the passages 19 with .the chambers 22. Ports 2 1 connect the passages 18 with the chamber 22. The frame 1 has an exhaust opening 25 leading from the chamber 22. Striking pneumatics v26 are mounted on the frame 1. Channels 27 lead from the striking pneumatics 26 to the chambers 22. A valve 28 controls the port at. A valve 29 controls the port 23 and the exhaust opening 25 at different times. The valves 28 and '29 have stems 30 mounted in bridges 31 on the frame, the stems of the valves extending into the suction chamber 3 and being located in the pathof the pneumatics 7 and 8.

The numeral 32 marks a tracker bar having apertures 33, 34 and The numeral 36 marks a support, both the support and the tracker bar being located as desired in the piano casin The support 36 has apertures 37, 38 and 39. A tube l0 connects the aperture 33 in the tracker bar with the aperture 37 in the support. tube 41 eX- tends between the apertures 34 and 38. The apertures and 39 are connected by a tube 12. A movable member, such as a slide 43, is connected at 4A to the support 36 for ad iustment transversely thereof. The slide 43 has apertures 45 and 46. The aperture 4-5 in the slide is adapted to communicate with the aperture 38 in the support 36, and the aperture 16 in the slide is adapted to com.- municate with the aperture 39 in the support. The aperture 4.5 in the slide may be brought into registration with the aperture 87 in the support 36, the apertures 38, 39 and 1-6 then being; closed. A flexible tube 47 connects the aperture 416 of the slide with the pneumatic 7. A flexible tube 18 connects the aperture of the slide 13 with the p neumatic 8.

The device may be used with a special music sheet 49 having elongated openings 50 and smaller openings 51. In Figure 6, the numeral 52 marks an acccunpaniment opening".

Suppose that the valve 29 is closed with respect to the port 23, the valve 28 being closed with respect to the port 2 1, the str' ing pneumatic 26 being expanded, becau e air can enter the pneinnatic 2G by way oil the opening the chamber 22 and the channel 27. Suction created through the pipe (3 in the casing will be transmitted tl'liOUQjl] the port 12, the passage 10 and the port to the passage 18, the valve 28 being held closed by suction. Suction in the casing" 5 will be transmitted through the port 15', the passage 11 and the port 21, to the passijigge il the valve 29 being held closed on the port 23 by suction. Suction in the casing 5 will be transmitted through the port 1 to the chamber 3, the air being exhausted from the pneumatics 7 and 8, through the ports 9, the pneumaties 7 and 8 being collapsed, and being retracted with respect to the stems 30 ot the valves 28 and 29. Assuming that the slide 43 is in the position of Figure 1, the aperture 37 in the support 36 is closed by the slide 413, but the aperture 46 in the slide registers with. the aperture 39 in the support, the aperture 45 in the slide registering with the aperture 38 in the support. .As sume that the sheet 49 is traversing the tracker bar 32. The opening 51 in the sheet 49 registers with the aperture in the tracker bar at the same instant that the forward end of the opening 50 in the sheet registers with the aperture 341- in the tracker bar, and the striking pneumatic 26 receives a double portion of suction, the result being that a solo note is accentuated.

Air rushes into the pneumatic 8 through a conduit comprising the opening" 50 in the sheet 49, the aperture in the tracker bar 32, the tube 11, the aperture 88 in the support 36, the aperture of the slide 43, and the flexible tube 48. Air rushes likewise into the pneumatic 7 througl'i a conduit comprising the opening 51 in the sheet 49, the aperture in the tracker bar 32, the tube 12, the aperture 89 of the support 36, the aperture 46 of the slide 43, and the flexible tube 47. When the pneumatic 7 ere pands, the pneumatic, cooperating with the stem of the valve 28, opens the valve with respect to the port 24. When the pneumatic S expands, the said pneumatic, cooperating With the stem of the valve 29, moves the valve to open position with re ect t th port 23 and to closed position with respect to the exhaust opening 25. The striking pneumatic 26 now closes, suction being created in the pneumatic, from the chamber 22, through the channel 27. Suction is brought about in the chan'iber 22, from the casing 5, by a double line, one branch of which com prises the port 12, the passage 10, the port. 20 and the passage 18, the other branch comprising the'port 141-, the passage 11, the port 21 and the passage .19. llbus, the str kinn pneumatic 26 will responcbto an increased suction, thereby to provide an ac centuated or solo note. The increment oi? force imparted to the striking pneumatic 2G by the operation ot the pneun'iatic 7 Will be short in duration and will exist at the benniup; oi the sounding of the note only, cause the opening 51 in the sheet 4-9 is small and resristers with the aperture in the tracker bar for an instant only, whereas the opening insheet- 49 is larger than the opening in the sheet, the opening 50 being at any desired length and registering' with "the aperture 3 in the traclzer bar 39 tor a longer period. The suction thr-ruinii the port 23 Jay be regulatedbv means of the valve 16, and the suction through the port Q-it may be regulated by the valve 15, the operator always having at his command, means for regulatingthe force wherewith the note is strucli. An ACCQID pauimentnote is produced by the open ng in the sheet 19, this opening ooactlng with the aperture of the tracker bar The accompaniment note may be regulated. as to the force with which it is struck, through the medium ot the valve 16, but. assuming that there is no opening in the sheet, adjacent to the opening and corresponding to the opening 51, the accom" paniment note will not be brought out like the solo note, the pneumatic 7 rema n ng idle. Should. there be an opening ad oining the opening 52 in the roll or sheet, and corresponding); to the opening 51, then, of course, the accompaniment note may be brought out like the solo note. .i Xlthough. the solo note and the accompaniment note have been alluded to in the singular number, it is obvious that a chord may be produced either in the solo part or in the accompaniment part, this being a matter resultinp; merely from the formation ot the desired number of openings in the music sheet.

Should it be desired to use the ordinary 88 note sheet, the slide 43 is moved until the apertures 1-5 and 37 register, the apertures 46, and 38 being closed, air entering the pneumaties 8 through the tube 48, the aperture 41 5, the aperture 37, the tube 40 and the aperture in the tracker bar 32.

The general construction. of the device is such that a common 88 note sheet may be used interchangeahly with a. sheet of special construction. Solo notes may be brought out, and the force wherewith either solo notes or accompaniment notes are struck, may be regulated, it being possible also to regulate the force used in striking a note when the note is produced from the ordinary 88 note sheet.

hat is claimed is 2- 1. In a device of the class described, a suction means, a chamber provided with an outlet, a single striking pneumatic communi eating with the chamber, conduits leading from the suction means to the chamber, pneumatics having bleed-ports communicating with the suction means thereby to ef fect a collapsing of the last-specified pneumatics, valves controlling the conduits and operated by the last-specified pneumatics, one valve controlling the outlet, both valves being responsive to suction, when the lastspecified pneumatics are collapsed, to cut off suction through the conduits and to cause said one valve to open the outlet, separate air-admission means for the last-specified pneumatics, and a tracker having sepa rate apertures communicating with the respective air-admission means, thereby to expand thelast-specified pneumatics, to close said one of the valves with respect to the outlet, and 'to open both valves with respect to the suction conduits and the chamber thereby providing an increased suction on the striking pneumatic.

2. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by the provision of separate valves under the governance of an operator and controlling adjustably the amount of suction through each conduit upon the chamber.

3. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim. 1, and further characterized by the fact that the tracker has another aperture, and a movable member having ports communicating with the air-admission means and with the firstspecified apertures in the tracker, said memher being movable to place in communication with said other aperture in the tracker, that one of the air-admission means which 00-- operates with that one of the last-specified pneumatics which operates said one valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY ADOLPH CLAUSING.

Witnesses:

W. P. ANDERSON, BLANoHn ANDERSON. 

